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Romine
Racing News
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Mike Romine's found his groove. Last weekend in Ubly, Michigan, Romine won the Quick 8 at AMRA's National on the Competition, Inc. Flyin' Banana. Exactly two weekends before at the AHDRA National in Norwalk, Ohio, Romine entered the Banana in Pro Fuel and won on it's first outing of the season. While two wins may not seem to reveal a groove, there's other evidence.
In what would seem to many a crazy decision, Romine sold his newest, latest greatest Chromatic Top Fuel/Nitro Harley ride (the black bike) after the first race of the 2001 season. In an amazing amount of time, the new Chromatic Nuclear Tomato was built. Romine debuted it Monday following IHRA's Virginia event in April. By the June three week series, he'd clocked his best times, miles per hour and split times of his career on the new bike.
Though we all want to hear our heroes say that they'll win every race they enter, in a field like Nitro Harley, a statement as such is not only boastful, it's unrealistic. Romine's original goal was to feature the Nuclear Tomato in the winner's circle by August. The team is extremely optimistic about the progression of the new equipment and hopeful that they'll succeed even sooner with the Nuclear Tomato.
The Flyin' Banana has been a chameleon in 2001. It began the season as Romine's Top Fuel entry for three races since the black bike sold. After proving itself with a 6.51 at Rockingham and advancing rounds each race, Romine removed the transmission and put in a jackshaft for Pro Fuel competition., setting it aside to rest for it's own competition. Early this year, Romine's Flyin' Banana sponsor Competition, Inc. created new components for it. Both Norwalk and Ubly were his first opportunity to test them. Though the bike isn't back to it's 6.80's and 6.90's quarter-mile form as they troubleshoot the new products, Romine's still winning events.
'We ran better than the existing AMRA record at 4.52 with a 4.50 in the eighth-mile.' (4.30's are Romine's norm.) We didn't set the record, but we beat it. We still need to run it some more. And, since we were running on an older racetrack we knew we weren't going to go really, really fast on it. Still, we ran pretty good.'
'It was a fun weekend. There were a lot of local Michigan fans there than hadn't seen us race since Stanton last year. And there were a lot of fans that only go to the bike events, so it was good to run in front of them. There was a great spectator crowd. We mainly went up there to run the bike, try the new parts and display the products that we sell to people in the area. It was a nice, easy weekend. We stopped at the casino on the way home, the Indian Reservation, and won $700. Great weekend.'
In addition, Romine handed out flyers for the Pro One Cycle Open House June 30th where he'll be displaying in Battle Creek, MI. 'The Chromatic Nuclear Tomato is just sitting over there waiting to do it's big radio burnout. Quite a few local people that got those handouts that will go there. It'll be another fun weekend, then we go racing again.'
Romine's Flyin Banana will run a limited all-motorcycle event schedule as he focuses his efforts on his first IHRA victory and success with the Nuclear Tomato. The next Chromatic Nuclear Tomato outing is IHRA's Empire Nationals July 13 - 15 at New York International Raceway Park in Leicester, NY, the Geneseo area.
Romine asks that you keep Dale Nungesser and Rocky Mann in mind as they recover from a two-bike crash at AHDRA's Colorado event on June 16. Nungesser also rides a Chromatic Top Fueler and has run a limited IHRA schedule. He is defending AHDRA Top Fuel Champion. Rocky Mann was the buyer of the black Top Fueler Romine sold and was on his best personal pass when he crashed. He's returned to Arizona for recovery and physical therapy. Nungesser remains in Colorado in the hospital.
Mike Romine is sponsored by Chromatic, Competition, Inc, Andrews Products, Saddlemen, Pro Racing Products and Romine Racing.
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